Locomotive



March 28, 1939. F, P, ROL-:5CH 2,152,420

TIVE

Filed Oct. 4, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 28, 1939.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 LOCOMOTIVE F. P. ROESCH Filed oct. 4, 1937 March 2S,1939.

Y Je# if F.P.ROESCH LOCOMOTIVE Filed Ooi. 4, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOOOMOTIVE Frank P.Roesch, Chicago, lll.

Application October 4,

15 Claims.

My invention is designed primarily for use 4with a modern type oflocomotivev in which both cylinders and valve chambers, as well as thesaddle, are preferably cast in one piece.

In carrying out my invention I cast the saddle with a large hollowpreferably occupying all the space in the center between the valvechambers, and I conduct the exhaust steam directly therefrom into saidspace, thereby further expanding the exhaust steam before final emissionfrom the exhaust nozzle, thus effecting a corresponding reduction in theback pressure.

In my invention hereinafter disclosed, I place in a passage between saidhollow space and smoke-box a movable valve actuated by exhaust steampressure against a helical spring in such a manner as will result in aconstant predetermined and adjustable back pressure under all conditionsof service, thereby creating a fairly 2 constant draft of denniteintensity instead of the variable, intermittent and high and lowintensity drafts obtaining at present.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide simple means operatingautomatically to prevent the drawing of the smoke-box gases back intothe cylinders while the locomotive is drifting, thus eliminating thepresent troubles caused by the carbonization of oil in the cylinders,valve 30 chambers, exhaust and steam passages, and the deposit ofcarbonized matter therein. By doing this, the use of drifting valves andthe so-called drifting throttle can be dispensed with, thus reducing thefuel consumption in ratio to the amount of steam now used whiledrifting.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide means to maintain afairly uniform flow and quantity of exhaust steam for use in connectionwith feed water heaters of any type, exhaust steam injectors, etc.

A further purpose is to provide a common chamber into which all exhauststeam from locomotive auxiliaries, such as, boosters, stokers, aircompressors, etc., can be diverted, thereby reducing the back pressurefrequently encountered in the operation of such devices, and throughsuch reduction in back pressure reduce the amount of steam required intheir operation.

To illustrate my invention I annex hereto three sheets of drawings inwhich the same reference characters are used to designate identicalparts in all gures, of which- Figure l is a vertical section through thesmokebox, valve chambers, cylinders and saddle as seen on the line I-Iof Figure 2;

1937, Serial No. 167,154

(C1. MI-44) Figure 2 is a horizontal section as seen on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section as seen onthe line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical section as seen on the line 4-4 of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is a vertical section as seen on the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

The smoke-box III may be of any desired construction and as usual isseated on and supported by the saddle II, which preferably has thecylinders I2 and the associated valve chambers I3 cast integrallytherewith with each end of each of the valve chambers having a shortpassage Il therefrom leading directly into the capacious hollow I5 ofthe saddle II, which hollow is closed except as hereinafter noted. Thishollow will have a capacity of from two to four times that of each ofthe cylinders I2, as indicated by their respective cross sectionaldimensions. The customary live steam pipes IB from the boiler open intothe tops and centers of the valve chambers I3 at I1, and each valvechamber has the customary sleeves I8 secured therein towards the endsthereof, which sleeves are provided with the apertures I9 (see Fig. 5)therein which apertures I9 register with the generally annular passages20 formed in the valve chamber and which are connected by the passages2l with the ends of the cylinders I2. The customary piston valves 22 inthe valve chambers, as well as the pistons 23 in the cylinders, areconnected to the customary valve rods 2l and piston rods 25, and theentire mechanism operates during the running of the locomotive in thecustomary manner, the valves 22 controlling the admission of the livesteam to one side of the pistons while it exhausts from the other sidein the customary manner. The exhaust steam, it will -be noted, passesdirectly from the ends of the valve chambers into the hollow I5 throughthe passages I4 while the engine is running. lWhen it is drifting, inwhich case the main throttle valve (not shown) is closed, no steam isadmitted to the cylinders I2, the pistons 23 simply pumping the air theycontain back and forth in the hollow I5. Customary valves 38, in thebottom of the casting, provide means for automatically draining anycondensed steam from the hollow.

When the locomotive is rlmning the exhaust steam is forced through thepassages Il into the hollow I5 raising the pressure therein until itopens the exhaust valve 2B into the smoke-box I0. structed, I preferablyemploy the specific mecha- While this valve may be variously connismillustrated, in which a cylindrical chamber 21 is formed as a part ofthe saddle Il in which it is located, and has a passage 28 openingupwardly therefrom into the smoke-box l0, which passage 2l will beconnected to any desired form of nozzle (not shown) that may be employedto direct the exhaust steam into the smoke stack (not shown). Thechamber 21 has its inner end closed by a bushing 2s, removable forreplacement, which has the orince ll therein to admit the exhaust steamwhich pushes the sliding valve member Il against the pressure of thehelically coiled expanding spring 32 in the other end of the chamber 21,the tension of which is adjusted by the set screw 33 threaded throughthe disk 3l closing that end of the chamber, and having the disk 35engaging the spring I2. It will be obvious that the smaller the orifice30, the greater the resulting cushioning eilect that will be Droduced toprevent slamming of the valve as it will be closed if the pressure ofthe exhaust steam in the hollow l5 is suddenly reduced. When the engineis at rest, or drifting, and there is no exhaust steam pressure on thevalve member 3l,

.the unreduced end thereof closes the passage 2l,

as well as the openings J0 (see Figure 1) in the chamber 21, so that nosmoke can get from the smoke-box lll into the hollow I I, and thenceback to the cylinders I2 and valve chambers Il, where its presence wouldbe highly objectionable.

When the throttle is closed and the engine is drifting, as soon as thepressure in the hollow II falls below that for which the valve is set,it is closed by the spring 32, leaving the cylinders and the hollowfilled with low pressure exhaust steam containing the customarylubricant in suspension, which serves to keep the cylinders oiled as theexhaust steam is pumped back and forth therein as the engine isdrifting, obviating the necessity of furnishing the cylinders with livesteam, not needed for propulsion, to keep them lubricated,v thusenabling me to do away with the customary drifting valve. When theengine is running and the exhaust steam in the hollow Il reaches thepressure for which the spring 32 is adjusted, the valve member 3lis'moved to the dotted line position and an outlet for the exhaust steamis opened through the openings 36, the reduced portion 31 of the valvemember 3|, and the passage 28 to the smoke-box Il, where the exhauststeam is discharged in the Acustomary manner through the nozzle (notshown) into the smoke stack (not shown) thus getting the desired forceddraft customarily employed.

As the exhaust steam has expanded in the hollow I5 and flows through theopened passage 28 at a comparatively low, but steady pressure, it doesaway with the annoying short puffs that occur with the ordinary enginewhen it is working at high pressure, and when there is no opportunityfor any expansion of the exhaust steam until it reaches the smoke box,where its sudden expansion produces the aforesaid puil, the loudness ofwhich depends in that case upon the pressure of the exhaust steam. By myinvention the forced draft is materially reduced, even when the engineis working under its heaviest load, and as a heavy forced draft iswasteful of fuel, there is also a pronounced saving of fuel by the useof my invention when the engine normally works under a heavy load.

While I have shown and described my invention as embodied in the formwhich at present I consider best adapted to carry out its purposes,

it will be understood that it is capable of modisaddle upon which thesmoke-box is supported having 'a large hollow therein, valve chambersand associated cylinders supported from the saddle, short passages fromthe ends of the valve chambers to the hollow in the saddle into whichthe steam from the cylinders is exhausted and Y expanded, an exhauststeam passage from the hollow of the saddle to the smoke-box, a valve insaid exhaust steam passage, and means for holding said valve closeduntil the exhaust steam from the cylinders raises the pressure in thehollow of the saddle to a desired degree.

.2. A locomotive engine as described in claim 1, in which there aremeans for adjusting the pressure'required to open said valve.

3. A locomotive engine as described in claim l, in which the means forholding said valve closed is a spring acting against the same.

4. A locomotive engine as described in claim 1 y in which the means forholding the valve closed consists of a spring acting against it,together with means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

. 5. In a locomotive engine, the combination with a smoke-box, oi' asaddle upon which the smokebox isl supported having a large hollowtherein into which exhaust steam from the cylinders is discharged vandexpanded, a valve chamber in said hollow supported by the saddle, apassage leading from said valve chamber to the smokebox, a valve in saidchamber movable by the pressure of the exhaust steam in said hollow froma position closing said passage to an open position, an oriilce in saidvalve chamber so that the steam from the hollow can press on the valve,and

.means for holding said valve closed against said pressure until saidpressure reaches a predetermined amount.

6. A locomotive engine as described in claim 5, in which the means forholding said valve closed consists of a spring acting against saidvalve.

7. A locomotive engine as described in claim 5, in which the means forholding said valve closed consists of a spring provided with meaqs'forregulating its tension..

8. A locomotive engine as described in claim 5. in which the orifice insaid chamber admitting exhaust steam thereto is reduced to eliminateshock due to slamming as the valve closes.

9. A locomotive engine as described in claim 5, in which the orifice insaid chamber admitting exhaust steam thereto is reduced to eliminateshock due to slamming as the valve closes, and in which said orifice islocated in a removable bushing. l

l0. In a locomotive engine, the comhin... with a fire-box and a boilerhaving a smokebox connected therewith, of driving cylinders and valvechambers associated therewith, supporting connections between saidsmoke-box and the driving cylinders and valve chambers, a larg `hollowspace in said supporting connections behollow space to said smoke-box, avalve in said hollow space closing said passage but capable of beingopened by exhaust steam pressure in the hollow space, and means forholding said valve closed in the absence of a certain degree of exhauststeam pressure in said hollow space.

11. A locomotive engine as described in claim l0, in which there aremeans for regulating the pressure at which said valve opens.

12. In an engine, the combination with a fire box and boiler having asmoke box, of a hollow casting supporting the smoke box and having thebodies o! the valve chambers and associated cylindex-s forming a partthereof, the hollow central portion oi the casting having a cubicalcontent capacity greater than that of the cylinders and exhaust channelscombined, passages from the ends oi the valve chambers through which theexhaust steam passes directly to the hollow where it is expanded, anexhaust steam passage from the hollow central portion to the smoke box.l valve controlling said passage and means for holding said valve closeduntil the exhaust steam from the cylinders raises the pressure in thehollow of the casting to a desired degree.

13. A locomotive engine as described in claim l2 in which there aremeans for adjusting the pressure required to open said valve.

14. A locomotive engine as described in claim 12 in which the means forholding the said valve closed is a spring acting against the same.

15. A locomotive engine as described in claim 12 in which the means forholding the valve closed consists of a spring acting against it,together L.)

with means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

FRANK P. ROESCH.

